CES, Las Vegas, Nev. ? Jan. 5, 2006-- SmartLabsTM Inc., the world?s leading authority in electronic home improvement and automation, today announced that two leading electronic home control software companies, Perceptive Automation, the maker of Indigo home automation software, and Home Automated Living (HAL), the leader in voice-controlled digital home systems integration software, have embraced the INSTEON protocol and have developed new applications for managing INSTEONenabled home control devices. Software developers like HAL and Perceptive Automation can license the INSTEON protocol at no cost.INSTEON is a dual-mesh (powerline and radio frequency) home control networking technology optimized for home management and control. Simple, affordable and reliable, INSTEON links together core home systems such as lighting, security, comfort control, consumer electronics, appliances and safety sensors for remote monitoring and control. Perceptive Automation?s Indigo software is being used as a home control server for the Apple Macintosh. Indigo allows users to remotely control lights, fans, appliances, sprinklers and other home systems and devices. It also integrates SmartLabs INSTEONenabledin wall keypad with iTunes to manage and customize music remotely. Users don?t have to go to the computer to manage the music; they can simply use the programmed keypad to make choices and changes. It is an end-to-end streaming media solution.Perceptive Automation turned to INSTEON in an effort to find a replacement for legacy technologies such as X-10. INSTEON?s ability to transport messages by peer-topeer simulcasting with error detection, message confirmation and automatic retries was attractive, and because INSTEON devices all have unique addresses and automatically act as simulcasting repeaters, the network requires no configuration or routing controllers.?SmartLabs has been very cooperative and open with the INSTEON standard and protocol specifications, and INSTEON met the price point and technology demands of our customers,? said Matt Bendiksen of Perceptive Automation. ?The technology is very robust and offers a ?true mesh? experience without the overhead and complexity found in routed solutions.?SmartLabs is also working with HAL. HAL software functions like an operating system for the home, enabling users to control their homes?and all the technology inside?remotely. Using any number of interfaces such as a web browser, touchscreen or HAL?s speaker-independent speech interface gives the user total control of home systems such as lights, appliances, climate, home theater, security and telephone.?INSTEON delivers a stable platform that solves the reliability problems found in older technologies,? said Tim Shriver, president of HAL. ?We offer a seamless solution that interconnects devices and systems mirroring SmartLabs? INSTEON solution, and the fact that we as software developers get the INSTEON protocol for free allows a lot of design flexibility.??With support for INSTEON now incorporated into Indigo software for the Macintosh and HAL for the PC, homeowners will be able to take advantage of powerful new Mac- and PC-based home control applications that enable greater flexibility and more complex programming of their INSTEON-enabled devices,? said Ken Fairbanks, SmartLabs VP of Business Development. ?We?re pleased that these software leaders have recognized the value of INSTEON. The partnerships will strengthen the appeal of our respective product offerings, helping to further grow the electronic home improvement market.?Representatives from both HAL and Perceptive Automation will be demonstrating their INSTEON-compatible solutions during CES (Jan. 5-8) at the SmartLabs partner pavilion, South Hall 2/26424. SmartLabs executives will also be available for press and analyst briefings. Contact Michelle Laird at 503-705-4577 or [email protected] to make an appointment, or stop by booth South Hall 2/26424.About SmartLabsFounded in 1992, SmartLabs Inc. is the world?s leading authority on electronic home improvement and automation. SmartLabs is organized into three companies: Smarthome Direct, which includes Smarthome.com, "the Amazon of electronic home improvement" (Newsweek, 2004); SmartLabs Design, creators of best-in-class home control products; and SmartLabs Technology, the pioneering architects of INSTEON. SmartLabs? INSTEON Alliance offers a focused community for developers to incorporate the INSTEON standard into their products. SmartLabs products are sold to an international customer base via the Web, phone and retail outlets, as well as to professional dealers and installers through SmarthomePro. The company?s online catalog can be found at www.smarthome.com; information regarding INSTEON can be found at www.insteon.net. SmartLabs is headquartered in Irvine, Calif.About Perceptive AutomationPerceptive Automation creates home control and networking solutions. The company strives to make products that are innovative and easy to use, based on the belief that although the company?s products tie multiple protocols, interfaces and technologies together, the user experience should always be as intuitive and simple as possible. Perceptive Automation offers a free 30 day trial of its INSTEON enabled Mac home control software online at www.perceptiveautomation.com.About Home Automated LivingHome Automated Living (HAL) is the international leader in voice-controlled digital home and home office systems integration software. HAL integrates control of all the systems of the home and home office on the PC, including lights, devices, climate, telephone, security, home theater and the Internet. HAL enables the user to control these systems by voice or via the Internet from anywhere in the home or from anywhere on Earth. HAL is regularly featured on ABC?s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and is the winner of numerous industry awards.